Are Christians more masochistic than the rest of the population? (Jesus, ritual)

[Faint]

When I talk to Christians, if we talk long enough about their beliefs eventually most of those I've spoken with (or typed with at RF) seem to reveal a personal view that suffering and personal sacrifice is a necessary part of life. Therefore, I'm now of the opinion that Christianity is a masochistic religion. Here are some points to consider:

1) Throughout history, Christians have taken beatings (so to speak) and endured tragedy and great personal loss. Yet through all this they have maintained that their god loves them, and that they are more or less cursed with good cause because they were (and are) all sinful by nature. This is not limited to the self-flaggellation of the clergy--average run-of-the-mill Christians keep coming back to, defending, and worshipping the same God who abuses them. This reminds me of the dynamic of a dominatrix and her "slave".

2) The popular crucifix is a symbol of torture.

3) Jesus, the man considered greatest beyond all others and a model for Christian living voluntarily choose to suffer and be tortured to death. So when someone asks, "What would Jesus do" one likely answer can be "he would choose to suffer".

4) Lent and fasting in general are both examples of self-induced pain and sacrifice. And both are frequently practiced (at least to some degree).

5) Christians proclaim virtue in repressing or denying the things they want most--things that they are tempted by. With pleasurable acts such as sex, Christians value abstinence and avoidance over indulgence.

6) Not only do they feel that they personally deserve punishment, but that others should also be eternally "spanked" in hell if they don't do what their dominant God says.

What do you think? Can you give more examples? Are many other religions this way?

[mr.guy]

Maybe the eternal bliss trade-off requires a bit unpleasantness to be feasible. It could just come across as "too good to be true" if one didn't have sacrifise something for such a good deal with god. Of course, this is a gross oversimplification, i should think.

[Victor]

We invest our time in long term pleasures (Love, relationships, forgiveness, giving, etc.). Rather then temporary ones. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good cigar or go to Disneyland.

~Victor

[Terrywoodenpic]

In living you life, like having a job. You do what you must do to perform it to the best of your ability.
No one goes out of their way to have pain and suffering, nor do they believe it is necessary to a christian life.
However there is some times a trade off between what you know is the right thing to do,
and the personal consequences to doing it. Be it financial, time lost or in the ultimate, physical.

I would not say Christians have exclusive rights to this . It just follows from a code of morality.

Terry___________________________
Blessed are those who bring peace, they shall be children of God

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Faint

When I talk to Christians, if we talk long enough about their beliefs eventually most of those I've spoken with (or typed with at RF) seem to reveal a personal view that suffering and personal sacrifice is a necessary part of life.

I wouldn't say that it is necessary. But it happens. There are many Christians who go through life living perfectly happy and not really sufferring much at all.

Besides, we believe we have a greater reward in heaven.

[Fluffy]

I kinda agree with you Faint. I think your strongest point is that of original sin and the inability to be saved without the grace of God. That, in my mind, comes across as heavily masochistic. Still my beliefs are fairly close to this so I can identify with it very well. I feel that true selflessness is unattainable without this belief or a similar one.

[James the Persian]

Masochism is getting pleasure out of pain. Any Christian who gets pleasure out of things like fasting is completely missing the point (not to mention treading on thin ice - look at Christ's teaching as to how we are to fast). Christianity, then, is not masochistic. There have been certain groups who were, perhaps, dangerously close to masochism, practicing such things as self-flagellation or (in the case of one way out Russian cult) self-castration, but this is not really in line with mainstream Christianity. I would argue that Christianity is, or should be, an ascetic religion, but there is a world of difference between asceticism and masochism. Asceticism is the spiritual equivalent of an athlete's training regimen, masochism is a rather perverse form of hedonism.

James